This invention relates to a glare reducing hood mountable on the monitor of a laptop computer to reduce and/or eliminate glare seen on the monitor by a laptop computer user.
It is known in the art relating to computers to provide a glare reduction device to reduce and/or prevent glare created by ambient light on a computer monitor of a desktop computer. Ambient light, especially in an outdoor environment, makes it difficult to see the computer monitor properly. It is necessary to preclude as much of this light as possible from reaching the monitor so that viewing of the computer monitor is improved.
Glare reducing hoods for desktop computers are not useable with a laptop or portable computer. Such hoods obstruct the keyboard of a laptop computer, preventing the user from using it. Further, although some of the existing hoods are portable and collapsible, they are not sufficiently compact for storage in a portable computer carrying case. Furthermore, such hoods are not durably made to allow the hood to be folded and unfolded many times in a single day. Thus, there is a need for a hood that is lightweight, portable and easily attachable to a laptop computer monitor and durably made to allow numerous daily uses.
The present invention provides a collapsible glare reducing hood that is openable to a shape conforming to a laptop computer monitor. The hood is made of a closure structure attached to an endless frame member. The hood can be folded flat for storage and placed in a storage case. When released from the case the endless frame member springs back to a hood shape constrained by the closure structure.
The closure structure includes a mounting end that defines a mounting end opening. The closure structure is mounted to the computer monitor by placing the mounting end opening about the edges of the monitor. The spring tension of the endless frame member retains the hood about the monitor. To securely mount the hood about the monitor, a securing means may be included on the hood. The securing means may be a flap attached to an edge of the mounting end such that the flap extends over a top edge of the monitor and toward the back of the monitor, securing the hood in place.
Further, the flap and the storage case may include cooperating hook and loop strips, such as are known and sold under the trademark xe2x80x9cVELCROxe2x80x9d to allow the storage case to be attached to the hood while the hood is mounted on the monitor. The attachment of the case to the hood counterbalances the weight of the hood, preventing the hood from tipping toward the keyboard of the laptop. One strip is attached to the flap of the hood and the other is attached to the storage case.
The closure structure also includes a viewing end opposite the mounting end that defines a viewing end opening. The computer user views the computer monitor through the viewing end opening. The closure structure tapers from the mounting end to the viewing end, wherein the mounting end opening is larger than the viewing end opening. The endless frame member supports the closure structure and provides stiffness to the hood.
In one embodiment of the invention, the closure structure includes upper, lower and side panels or surfaces. The upper and lower surfaces generally have a parabolic shape. The side surfaces have corresponding shapes that are sectors of a generally elliptical shape. Such a configuration allows the computer user to use the keyboard of the laptop computer while the hood is mounted on the monitor. The closure structure may be made from a nylon or polyester material to allow it to be durable and light weight.
The endless frame member is a continuous member that provides support for the closure structure and stiffness to the hood. It is disposed within an endless enclosure that is formed by folding an edge of the closure structure over the endless frame member and hemming the edge to retain the frame therein. The endless frame member may be what is referred to as memory wire by those skilled in the art. The memory wire allows the hood to be collapsed into a flat shape and placed in a storage case. When the hood is taken out of the case, the memory wire springs back or returns to its original useable shape. The wire may be made from a metal or non-metallic material.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.